Effect of green waste and lime amendments on biostabilisation, physical-chemical and microbial properties of the composted fine fraction of residual municipal solid waste

Implementation of guidelines to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) sent to landfill has created a need in the waste-management industry to investigate possible methods of accelerating biostabilisation of residual BMW. The effect of commercially feasible manipulations (lime and green waste (GW)) on the rate of biostabilisation of the fine (<20 mm) fraction of residual BMW was investigated. The physical and chemical attributes of the composted wastes were measured, and their bacterial communities profiled using traditional culture-based methods. In addition, ammonia-oxidising microbes were monitored during the biostabilisation process using molecular profiling methods. Addition of GW accelerated biostabilisation, reduced conductivity and increased the levels of ammonia-oxidising bacterial (AOB) and archaeal (AOA) genes. The best stability was noted in the dual (Lime + GW) treatment, which was under the limit of 13 mmol O₂ kg DM⁻¹ h⁻¹ recommended by the Irish compost standard. Biostabilised wastes met recommendations for source-segregated compost for pH (6-8) and pathogens (E. coli and Salmonella), but not heavy metals, indicating their unsuitability for uses other than landfill cover. Levels of AOA genes (log 3–6 g⁻¹ DM) were higher than AOB (log 1–6 g⁻¹ DM, indicating AOA may contribute more to potential ammonia oxidation in residual BMW composting.